Been There, Done That! - Season 2

Vizag was breathtaking as Vibhuti landed here for the first time. Stunning landscape with rolling hills on one side and the vast ocean on the other, and the city defining the border between. She spoke about the big and small places and spaces that are unique to Vizag, and also those that are common to all cities. From building codes to citizen engagement, we discussed many aspects that continue to define the evolving planning and building industry that shape our cityscape.

Vibhuti’s journey into vaastu was quite interesting because of the opportunities she had to study it, contrast it with what she was taught in college about space design, understand it in context in Jaipur, and find relevance for it in modern life. She shunned the reductionist approach and encouraged us all to engage deeply to derive meaning.

As an architect, empathy for those using the spaces she designs is important to her. She is now formulating her thoughts on what she calls - compassionate architecture.

Charishma has two Bachelors degrees, chose to be an actor at an early age, and trained in dance and acting. Now she is building her portfolio and expanding her professional engagements, while finishing her dance training. She was crowned Miss South India in 2022. It was a blast speaking to her about everything beautiful!

Charishma walked us through many details of a beauty pageant, the preparation that goes into being a contestant, support structure one needs, the grind of the competition itself, the peer group of competitors, and the winning moments. Of the many steps involved in a beauty pageant, the most crucial one is the few minutes you get to introduce yourself. She spoke about the importance of self image and understanding one's own personality to be able to confidently speak about oneself. It is very heartening to hear the camaraderie she described between the contestants, the journey they share and the bonds they build - a sisterhood.

Beauty is not just about physical appearances. Charishma made a strong case for why we should adapt a more holistic approach in understanding beauty.

History is about us trying to make sense of our circumstances by relating them to past circumstances. People and places of the days gone by come alive as we understand them from our vantage point.

Paul demonstrated that with many anecdotes from his increasingly thorough work on Vizag’s history. “I am not trained in methods to study history, not interested in reading history, nor am I interested in digging for history of any other place. I was curious about a church in Vizag, and kept running into information about various things in the city that were not widely known. I just kept documenting information that I happened to find. But, it’s a good feeling that I could do what I did” says Paul.

His work is published in local magazines and newspapers, recorded by news channels, and shared on social media. But it’s all in bits and pieces. A serious history student could compile a definitive work out of it all. What’s needed is a popular history book that’s accessible to the general public, and we hope Paul will find the time and resources to write one.

Madhu abandoned his Masters degree at IIT Kanpur because he wasn't allowed to pick his topic and advisor. Eventually he made a life in shipping and fishing. Somewhere along the way, he was coerced into being a trustee of Dr. Lankapalli Bullayya College, and then the Correspondent. Drawing from his experience of 25 years in that voluntary position, he gave us a thorough rundown of the challenges in our higher education enterprise.

Most students that join his college come with a "failure" tag because they did not crack the famous NEET/JEE/EAMCET. Government mandated cap on college fee doesn't earn them enough revenue to pay their faculty well. Parent expectations range from indifference to disillusionment to sky-high. Madhu spoke about the stifling policies that turn higher education institutions from being creative educators to creative managers and accountants.

He is leading the college towards being autonomous. "We want to be autonomous not because we think we will succeed, but, we want the right to fail on our terms." That's as clear as a bell!

Moving from the busy metropolis of 70s' Mumbai to remote rural Addateegala in AP cant be an easy transition for even the most prepared. Fueled by the philosophy of Paulo Freire, armed with a degree in social work, filled with passion for development, and a fire to question everything, Nafisa and Dominique moved across the country with their young child to settle among the tribal communities of the Eastern Ghats. Laya Resource Center that she cofounded continues their 35 years of work across the region from Rampachodavaram to Seethampeta.

While much of what happened in her life was circumstantial, she was not a bystander. She reflected deeply on using her agency and on her choices that impacted her life, and that of others around her. Deeply personal choices about religion, family decisions such as homeschooling their child, organizational decisions such as integrating climate change issues into Laya Resource Center's work, were all discussed. Through it all, we learned a lot of details about life in the region through her years of work. Her reflections were deep and thoughtful.

Significant events in life define who we become. It is not often that we find those who turn a tragedy into an opportunity. It is not often that we find people that can use grief as a catalyst for personal growth. Meenakshi is one of those rare finds! She has a long list of firsts to her credit. The last but not least of those is, she and her husband are the first medical clown couple in the country!

Our conversation was that of hope, love, positivity, care, and giving. So what if she lost her son? Sure, she misses him every moment, but his absence is what drives her to be a mother to hundreds more, and she sees him in all of them. A powerhouse of brilliance, initiative, and commitment to the cause, Meenakshi leads a committed crew of 'clowns' to cancer hospitals and hospices just to be there and say it’s ok! Those who need that shoulder to lean on appreciate it more than others can understand.

Please contact Meenakshi @razzmeenakshi on Instagram if you would like to try being a medical clown. It’s much more than the looks.

Stories her grand mother told them during powercuts, non-stop play during summer holidays despite the relentless heat of Guntur, growing up in a joint family, occasional escapades in college, and the inevitable arranged wedding and move to her in-laws’ house in another city...Mallika's life up to that point was like many others we all know. Moving into another family, and the stark contrast in interpersonal relationships she noticed there, gave her the first opportunity to reflect back on her life. She began piecing together pearls of wisdom thrown at her randomly over the years. She continued to collect them and made herself a necklace that shines powerfully through her life. That is not a life like many others we all know.

Her father traded in spices. Her father-in-law traded in cloth. She always found herself socializing with businessmen and women. Her late husband, Shri Manoj, saw an opportunity in jewellery. She took over the Vaibhav Jewellers in 2012 and built a large community around her that includes family, friends, colleagues, and employees. Vaibhav is now a publicly traded company. Mallika's is a life of resilience and community building.

A birth defect that visibly sets him apart kept Dennis quiet through most of his schooling days. The calm and reserved person had a lot of anguish bottling inside him, that found an outlet through Rap in his 8th grade. Through the years since then, he wrote and sang his heart out, putting his thoughts into lyrics in a language that is foreign to most of us and at a pace that is challenging to follow. Nevertheless, it was his calling and he was faithful to it.

Until he realised that following a passion and making a living out of it are not the same thing. He is currently withdrawn a little from the industry but is staying loyal to his heart’s calling - writing, singing. He now calls himself a musician and not a rapper. He is recording in the privacy of his home studio, and we can expect him to drop his songs any day on one of the music platforms.

We discussed the history of Rap, India’s rap scene, Vizag’s much subdued rap scene, and his contributions to it. Vizag Rap League he founded several years ago is still simmering on the back burner, and his vision to put Vizag on the world’s Rap map is still alive. You can hear him on Spotify (D’strucT).

Passion to do something meaningful, rage at meaningless policy actions, and raw emotion with tears swelling over at the plight of the vulnerable - they were all on display in a very engaging and intense conversation. Sriram laid it out for us, a compelling call for action.

He has been at the helm of Bhagavatula Charitable Trust (BCT) since 2016 and began Grameena, India’s only (to the extent he knows) exclusively rural incubator in 2019. This brought the vocabulary and orientation of entrepreneurship to extend the impactful work of BCT. They are sorting through growing pains now, but certain about the path and focused on their goals.

Apart from the work of BCT and Grameena, or as part of it, it is quite hard to tell, we discussed many things about rural livelihoods, public policy initiatives, the disconnect between them, and misconceptions of a population that is focused on things away from all this. Sriram narrated a lot of anecdotes from the decades-long effort of BCT, and his own experiences growing up through the ranks and learning in the field. It was a fantastic conversation!

Growing up in Vizag, he chose MCom at Andhra University over multiple career options, back in 1980. Now, 44 yrs later, it’s hard to miss his love for his alma mater. His passion for an academic career seems to be stronger now than ever!

It’s no mean task to be a top administrator of a university, and Krishna Mohan explained the reasons in simple ways. He was the Registrar of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University in Srikakulam during its heady days, and established several foundational systems with minimal staff support. He then took over the same responsibilities at the much bigger Andhra University. Through all those 11.5 years of hectic administrative work, he never stopped teaching, which he says only energizes him to do more.

Teacher, mentor, advisor, administrator, he continues in lockstep with every new batch of students, with as much, if not more energy. His academic contributions include 15 books and numerous scholarly publications. He shared nuggets of wisdom he gathered along the way in a long and illustrious career. What a man, what a career, what a session!

Hailing from Tamilnadu, he's been in Vizag for a couple of years now, and is deeply involved in water issues of the city. A one-man army of the Dhan Foundation's Center for Urban Water Resources in the city, Lokesh works closely with a federation of slums in Vizag. As a part of his work, he has been identifying and mapping all 179 water bodies within the boundaries of GVMC. That is a lake for every 3.5 sq. km of our city. He just published a book to help us all locate, visit, understand, and act on protecting these water bodies. How many of us know that Vizag has 179 water bodies?

We spoke about the roles language and literature played in his life, how he carved a path through civil engineering and environmental engineering into a position that would allow him to work with disadvantaged populations, enabling self determination and self governance. He says he is not a doer, but an enabler, working on long-term impactful projects.

He gave us so many examples of life in the slums of Vizag and explained them in a social justice framework. It is hard to escape feeling responsible and guilty for all the challenges of the slum dwellers.

Hitting it off with strangers is not easy. Getting them to laugh is much harder. It takes years of work, writing, practicing, and failing repeatedly before it works out for a comic. Rafiq has been at it for some years now, and he is beginning to make a mark. He works in sales for livelihood, and jokes about life as a comic. As a member of Vizag Komedians, he is part of a ragtag group of young comics entertaining crowds across the city. "It is not just 'joking around'. It is hard work to be liked and recognized as a comic. Our success and failure happens live on stage," he says.

It was a pleasant conversation about his journey standing up in front of a crowd. We spoke about many things including types and genres of standup comedy, the process involved, and the scene in Vizag. He even entertained the crown with a 15 mins performance that got a lot of laughs!

Overall, we learned that standup comedy is no joke! It’s hard work and tough living.

The dramatic scene in the court room, leading to a climatic moment when the final judgement is delivered, pulling us to the edge of our seat...”happens rarely in courts and mostly in movies” says Somayajulu. Life in the court room is just as real as anywhere.

A fourth generation lawyer, he grew up in the shadow of a luminary that demanded the highest of standards and offered no shortcuts. Despite or because of that, Somayajulu carved his own path into the annals of legal history of Andhra Pradesh by being the first to be elevated from a District Bar to the High Court Bench. He was on the bench when the court was moved to Amaravati, and through the tough years of COVID that forced the courts to go online.

Speaking to a judge outside a court room can be a lot fun! We discussed law, society, family, cricket, and everything in between as Somayajulu navigated life. His restraint as a judge forced him to leave a lot unsaid, but, he still managed to give us a lot of food for thought. It was “absolute fun” speaking about challenges of the court system, etiquette and decorum of the courts, legal education in India, ethical and moral dilemmas of a lawyer and a judge, and cricket administration.

Children lovingly say, "my mom cooks for me, cleans after me, makes my bed, sings to me, buys me stuff, takes me to school and other places," etc. etc.

Divya added one to that list. She writes for her son. And for all the other kids too!

An Army officer's daughter, and a retired naval officer herself, Divya packs a punch in everything she does. As an Educational Officer in the Indian Navy, married to another officer, her life is full of stories from the armed forces. She was part of multiple initiatives in HR, operations management, and Navy welfare association, and proudly marched down Karthavya Path (formerly Raj Path) in India's Republic Day parade.

A doting mother, she does everything that mothers do for their kids, and more. She writes for her son, and says "he inspires me to write." Her first book 'Arikompan’s Adventure Story' is a best seller on Amazon and is based on a true story. Her second one 'Rules of All Roads (ROAR)' just released.

Mayank connects two royal families - her maternal Sangawat Rajput family of Devgarh in Rajasthan, and the Jeypore royal family she married into.

She grew up royal while royalty was disappearing as an institution. Mayank held her own through challenging times and redefined royalty to fit the changing society. Her life, in many ways, mirrors that of India’s many princely states since independence. She continues to navigate a difficult path amidst the burden of legacy of the society past, and a dwindling reverence from the society present.

Mayank is among the few royals that found footing in modern India, growing with it and helping it grow. She participates in the society around her, not just as a patron. Vizag is better off for that! Thanks to her, Hawa Mahal is more than a royal palace happened to be located in Vizag. She made a name for herself as a patron of arts and literature by lending Hawa Mahal, a beautiful century-old travel lodge, for city events at no cost. It is our royal palace, accessible to those that can put it to a good use. Besides being a heritage enthusiast, she is a lawyer, advocate, art curator, and a play school owner.

Jameelya couldn't wait to join her parents' journey into artistic products as soon as she finished her degree in product design. Her mentor advised her to get out and experience the world first.

She took a detour to explore how shapes are thought and thoughts are shaped.

Jameelya spoke about her childhood, free of the pressure to pursue engineering or medicine, exploring the world around her through long commutes to school, and growing up with a nursery. We discussed design, conceptualising products, and designing user experiences. Sustainability is just how she lives, not something she cultivates. We had a great conversation about artists, artisans, value of their work, the market for it, and societal perspectives of art and craft.

Now, as the creative head at Sankalpa Art Village, she is part of a team that connects artisans, empowers unskilled enthusiasts, creates beautiful products out of sustainable materials, and provides a rich experience to all those involved. "It has been a rich life of commitment, hard work, and earned rewards. And I just got started", says Jameelya.

We like our comfort zones and the world makes a lot of sense from within. Unknowns and uncertainties often reshape our view of the world and redefine the boundaries of our comfort zone. Many rabbit holes lie beyond.

Ravi Kiran found many wonderlands down those rabbit holes and continues to expand his comfort zone.

Joining the country's prestigious civil service at a very young age as an IRS officer, Kiran now heads the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics for AP. Although a busy career bureaucrat, he continued to make time for his interests in a variety of things, and digs deep each time. Career - check. Family - check. Music - check. Writing - check. Advocacy and activism - check. Language and literature - check. Technology - check.

We went down many rabbit holes to discover wonderlands with Ravi Kiran. As a budding polymath, he shared what life offered him and how he continues to dig deeper and find more.

A wedding, house warming party, baby naming ceremony, or a death anniversary are events we prepare for ahead of time, often elaborately. Anticipation, anxiousness, worry, and fatigue are additional fuel to already high emotions associated with the event. After all, they are often once- or twice-in-a-life events.

"It is just another important day at work" says Satish.

From a humble background, deciding to quit formal education for a life in priesthood during these modern times is not an easy choice. He is making it work for him.

Satish shared many anecdotes from his daily life that essentially held up a mirror to the contradictions in society. He addressed many interesting but seemingly mundane questions. “Why shouldn’t a priest watch and enjoy a movie?”, “why can’t a priest eat at a roadside restaurant when he is hungry?” And “how can rituals make sense if they are causing mayhem?” It was a fascinating conversation.

It was a fascinating conversation. While Venkat was reminiscing the good times, it was clear that he got very little from the classroom throughout his schooling. Almost a decade of just ploughing through manuals and guides in preparation for a test the next day - the famous “one day batting” formula - and precious little teaching or mentorship!

He is now a known entity in many schools across the state, installing Atal Tinkering Labs in about 250 schools, conducting various events and activities, and encouraging children to participate in competitions. Most of the children know him as Robo Reddy, not Venkat Reddy. "Our children need parents and teachers that allow them to think outside the box and learn outside the classroom”, he says.

Thanks to Atal Tinkering Labs, and his committed staff across the state, he is now laying the foundation for a student body that will demand more from their colleges and professors. What a mission he is on!!! You can follow Venkat at @teckteams on Instagram.

She started to make a living as a professional trained dietitian. She spends a large part of her life now, volunteering to teach people to grow their own veggies and flowers on their terraces. Near and dear say "why do you want to work so much, like a donkey, for no pay?"

"I do what I want, hurting no one, depending on no one. So, what if I am a donkey?", says Usha.

Through challenging life transitions, Usha carved her path from home science to nutrition, to child diabetes, to roof garden, to organic farming. Through it all, she continues to build a community of volunteers, committed connoisseurs, and ardent followers around each activity. Including her summer treks up the Himalayas. Why? Just because it keeps her happy!

Keeping it simple is an art. Usha seems to have perfected it. Just do what makes you happy, without burdening anyone else - is her mantra. You can follow her at @avani.organics on Instagram.

Terrain is no problem in Vizag, but running is still a distant activity for most.

Yogesh and his team of enthusiastic runners at the Visakha Trail Runners Association (VTRA) are all out to transform our perspective of running from being an exercise/sport to a part of who we are.

Marquee events such as the 80K Ultribe winding through thick forest near Paderu are big flashes on VTRA’s calendar, but the real work happens between those big events. Connecting with groups of youth, sharing thoughts and knowledge of trails, taking folks out on fun treks, putting the organisation together to spread the word, identifying a number of other ways to do all that…this is hard work. This is cultural transformation as it happens. And Vizag is better off for it.

Vizag should have numerous accessible well-groomed and safe trails for all levels of hikers that live here or come visiting. We have the terrain for it. Now we have VTRA. Let’s join hands. You can find them at www.vtra.run

Public spaces we inhabit are a reflection of our collective consciousness. Our places of recreation, worship, education, work, and service are expected to serve every one of us, regardless of our age, physical ability, or identity. That’s the ideal.

"We are far from it," says Kavya.

At 20, she was rushing through life, finishing her degree in architecture, performing as a professional dancer, and exploring art forms as an enthusiast. She even planned to get a diploma in dance. Suitable boys were vying for her hand in marriage. Everything seemed just right until she had a painful headache! A week later, she lost her eyesight overnight to an extremely rare neurological condition.

Two years later, when she realized that she had to learn to live blind, Kavya began to understand spaces differently, and how society is blind to the challenges of differently abled. She refused to equate the loss of sight with a loss of imagination, finished her degree, and is now among a handful of blind architects in the world. She is an advocate and consultant on universal accessibility, quickly gaining a reputation for being a visionary. You can follow her at @lifethroughkeyhole on Instagram

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